Hebrews 1:4-14

We are Studying the Amazing Sermon Letter of Hebrews

Last Time We Looked at Chapter 1 Verses 1-3

We Learned How God Spoke in Times Past Through Prophets

But in These Last Days (The Final Dispensation that We are Currently in), He Has Spoken to Us Through His Son

We Learned 7 Things About Who Jesus is and What He Came to Do

1. Jesus is Heir of All Things

2. Jesus is Creator

3. Jesus is the Radiance of God’s Glory

4. Jesus is the Exact Representation of God

5. Jesus is the Bearer of All Things

6. Jesus is Priest

7. Jesus is King

Let’s Read the First 3 Verses Again, and Then Read the Rest of the Chapter

Then We’ll Go Back and Break Verses 4-14 Down

Hebrews 1 (NASB)

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

For to which of the angels did He ever say, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again, “I will be a Father to Him And He shall be a Son to Me”? And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “And let all the angels of God worship Him.”

And of the angels He says, “Who makes His angels winds, And His ministers a flame of fire.” But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.

“You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”

And, “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the works of Your hands; They will perish, but You remain; And they all will become old like a garment, And like a mantle You will roll them up; Like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.”

But to which of the angels has He ever said, “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies A footstool for Your feet”? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

Already We See a Major Theme in this Chapter

There are a Lot of Sentences that are in All Caps

In the NASB, that I Use, that Means that the Text is Quoting Another Scripture

The Preacher of Hebrews Quotes A LOT of Scripture to Make His Point

In This Chapter, He Quotes From the OT 7 Times

It was Common for 1st Century Jewish and Christian Interpreters…

To String Together a Lot of Passages to Make a Point Extremely Clear and Persuasive to the Listeners

This Technique is Called “Chain Quotations”

What is His Point He is Trying to Make?

Verse 4 Tells Us

Hebrews 1:4 (NASB)

having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

His Point is that Jesus is Better Than the Angels

In What Way Has He Become Much Better Than the Angels?

In That He Has Obtained a More Excellent Name Than the Angels

Verse 5 Will Tell Us that His Name/Status that He Received was “Son of God”

But Why is this an Point that Needed to Be Made?

Some Believe that the Hebrews Audience Were Worshiping Angels

Colossians 2:18 (NASB)

Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,

Some in Colossae Were Apparently Doing This

So the Preacher to the Hebrews Needed to Address This Sin…

And Show Them Why Jesus is the One Who Should Be Worshiped

But Jewish People Worshiping Angels is Unlikely

Another Theory is Based Upon the Fact that Angels Mediated and Ordained the Old Law

Acts 7:52–53 (NASB)

“Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”

Galatians 3:19 (NASB)

Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.

Hebrews 2:2 (NASB)

For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty,

If the Preacher Could Prove that Jesus is Greater than the Angels…

Then He Could Prove that Jesus is a Better Mediator of a Better Covenant

And that He is Worthy of Greater Loyalty

One Last Theory is that They Were Regarding Jesus as an Angel Instead of God

It’s Possible that They Considered Jesus as an Angel to Escape the Pressure From Their Jewish Neighbors…

And Be Accepted Back in the Synagogue

They Also Wouldn’t Have to Deny Jesus

They Could Still Confess Him, But as an Angel Instead of God

Whatever the Reason, the Author/Preacher of Hebrews was Clear:

Jesus is Better Than the Angels

And He is Going to Use the OT to Prove His Case

Hebrews 1:5 (NASB)

For to which of the angels did He ever say, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again, “I will be a Father to Him And He shall be a Son to Me”?

The Author’s First Point is that God Never Calls an Angel His Son

He First Quotes From Psalm 2:7

In this Psalm, the Anointed King of Israel is Promised By God to Rule Over All People

Psalm 2 (NASB)

Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!”

He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

“I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’ ”

Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

From Early in Christian History This Psalm Has Been Considered a Messianic Psalm Referring to Jesus

When God Says to His Anointed King “Today I Have Begotten You”…

It Doesn’t Mean There was a Time When the Son (Jesus) Didn’t Exist

It was Common in the Ancient Near Eastern Theology for a God to Call the King His Son

This was a Way of Expressing Divine Sponsorship and Support for the King and His Dynasty

The NT Teaches that After Jesus’ Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension…

He was Declared the Son of God

Romans 1:3–4 (NASB)

concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,

Only Then Did Jesus Take His Place at the Right Hand of God to Be King Over All Creation

No Angel was Ever Called “Son” By God

But the Messianic King (Jesus) Was/Is

Hebrews 1:5 (NASB95)

For to which of the angels did He ever say, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again, “I will be a Father to Him And He shall be a Son to Me”?

Next the Hebrew Author Then Quotes From His 2nd OT Text, 2 Samuel 7:14

This is Where We Find the Davidic Covenant Established

After David Established the Capital in Jerusalem, He Wanted to Build a Proper House for God

God Told Him that His Son After Him Would Be the One to Build God a House

And Then God Made a Covenant With David, Swearing that the Throne of Israel Would Always Belong to a Descendant of David

This Became the Hope of Israel:

That a Future King From the Line of David Would One Day Inherit All of the Promises that God Had Given Israel

2 Samuel 7:12–15 (NASB)

“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.”

The Immediate Fulfillment of This Text was Solomon

But it Found its Ultimate Fulfillment in Jesus

The Anointed King From the Line of David Was/Is Called a Son By God

This is Something that None of the Angels Have Ever Been Called

Hebrews 1:6 (NASB)

And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “And let all the angels of God worship Him.”

The Hebrews Author Refers to Jesus as the “Firstborn”

This Does Not Refer to Jesus as a Created Being

It Refers to the Special Status and Rights of Inheritance Associated with the Firstborn in the Family

This OT Quote May Be Coming From Deuteronomy 32:43

In the Septuagint, the Text Commands the “Sons of God” to Worship Him

“Sons of God” Refers to the Angels

Jesus Being the Son of God, Who is God in the Flesh…

Is Worshiped By the Angels

Thus He is Better than the Angels

Hebrews 1:7 (NASB)

And of the angels He says, “Who makes His angels winds, And His ministers a flame of fire.”

Here He Quotes From Psalm 104:4

In the Context of This Quote, God is Being Praised as Creator and Sustainer of All Things

And Verse 4 Seems to Say that God Sends Wind and Fire Through His Messengers, the Angels

They Serve Him and Perform His Mighty Works

That is What God Says of the Angels

Hebrews 1:8–9 (NASB)

But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”

This Quote is Taken From Psalm 45:6-7

This Psalm was Likely Written to Commemorate a Royal Wedding in Jerusalem

Psalm 45:1–7 (NASB)

My heart overflows with a good theme; I address my verses to the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore God has blessed You forever.

Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One, In Your splendor and Your majesty! And in Your majesty ride on victoriously, For the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; Let Your right hand teach You awesome things. Your arrows are sharp; The peoples fall under You; Your arrows are in the heart of the King’s enemies.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows.

God’s Anointed King Reigns With Justice and Righteousness

And He Will Reign Forever

The Hebrews Author is Drawing a Distinction Between the Angels and the Son (Jesus)

God Sees the Angels as Ministers and Servants

God Sees Jesus as the King

Jesus is Better Than the Angels

Hebrews 1:10–12 (NASB)

And, “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the works of Your hands; They will perish, but You remain; And they all will become old like a garment, And like a mantle You will roll them up; Like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.”

Here the Quotation Comes From Psalm 102:25-27

It is Called “A Prayer of the Afflicted When He is Faint and Pours Out His Complaint Before the Lord”

And it is Exactly That

An Afflicted and Person in Need of Help and Comfort From God

The Psalmist Realizes that His Days are Limited, But God’s Aren’t

And That is Where He Finds Comfort, God’s Eternal Nature

Just as All Things Began With God, All Things Will Come to an End With God

The Hebrews Author is Declaring These Words to Be of Jesus

He is Both Creator and Judge

He Created All Things, and He Will Return to Bring All Things to an End

Jesus is Eternal

Jesus is Better Than the Angels

Hebrews 1:13 (NASB)

But to which of the angels has He ever said, “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies A footstool for Your feet”?

This Final Quotation is From From the Most Quoted OT Text in the NT - Psalm 110

This Psalm is Going to Be Referred to On Several Occasions in Hebrews

Psalm 110 (NASB)

The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” The Lord will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.” Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power; In holy array, from the womb of the dawn, Your youth are to You as the dew.

The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at Your right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath. He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country. He will drink from the brook by the wayside; Therefore He will lift up His head.

Not to the Angels But Only to Jesus Does God Say:

“Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

Jesus is the Son and King at the Right Hand of the Father…

Who Will Conquer His Enemies and Rule Forever

This Footstool Imagery Came From the Oriental Custom of the Victor Placing His Foot On the Neck of His Defeated Enemy

Jesus is a Ruling, Conquering King

Angels are Not

Jesus is Better Than the Angels

Hebrews 1:14 (NASB)

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

Angels are Spirits Who Minister and Serve Those Who Will Be Saved

Angels Serve Christians

How Do Angels Serve Us?

Lots of Ways and Likely More Than We Could Ever Fathom

They Execute God’s Judgement On the Wicked

Aid in Creating Opportunities for the Lost to Hear the Gospel

Give Strength and Encouragement to the Righteous

Whatever God Commands Them to Do

In Verses 4-14, the Author of Hebrews Quotes 7 OT Passages…

And Brings Up 4 Points that Prove Jesus is Better Than the Angels:

His Name is Greater - He is “Son”

His Nobility is Greater - He is Worshiped

His Nature is Greater - He is Eternal

His Position is Greater - He is at God’s Right Hand